swANToN] HAIDA TP:XT8 AND MYTHS 419 



jumped into the water. He sat close to tlie edge of the sea on the 

 point on which the fort stood. They then found him. The Skidegate 

 man ])egged for mere}'. On account of that the}^ called the place 

 '• Begging-for-mercy-cove." And they killed him, too. Then a great 

 quantity of blood ran in the fort. So they called it *■• Blood-fort.'"' 



Some time afterward a woman of the Common-food-steamers* who 

 was married among the Ninstints people })rought over food to her 

 friends in Kloo. The}" found Kloo empty. They were afraid because 

 they had destroyed the Skidegate people at Blood-fort. They were 

 all at Tlfi'Mi.'* It was then that she arrived. 



They slept then in the woods near the town of Kloo. One of the 

 two slaves who were with her told them to camp there [instead of on 

 the beach]. And he also heard the sound of paddling. He said then 

 to his mistress: "I say, let us go in over there. Some people passed 

 here in the night in canoes." But his mistress did not believe what he 

 said, and they passed in on the south side of the island. 



When they were going across the inlet they plainly saw some people 

 launching their canoes at a good sand beach. And they (the strangers) 

 chased them back. They then drove them ashore in terror. Her 

 companions escaped to the woods, and she remained behind alone. 

 She did not let them pull her in. but laid her head on the edge of the 

 canoe. 



And she said: ''Hurry, cut oil' my head. 1 do not want to be a 

 slave. I do not want to run away frightened either. Cut off my head 

 (juickly. Just here, my brother used to say, 3'ours were easily cut 

 off." ® She made a mark around her neck, and she kept talking. They 

 then cut off' her head. And all that were with her escaped into the 

 woods. 



They got the news at Tla'ldi, where all were living. They were 

 shut up there for a while as if they had been surrounded in one house. 

 By and by the Skidegate people again came to war. Opposite to the 

 place where they had drawn up their canoes some one was chopping 

 down a cedar for a canoe. He felled it and went away. 



Then the}' (the Skidegate people) asked the oldest of the warriors: 

 "'When 3'ou used to chop down a cedar how did you think about it 

 during the night?" "I thought all night what one does when' the 

 woman he is in love with accepts him. He will come to it again very 

 early." 



The}' then took three men over to it during the night. When he 

 came there early in the morning, they killed him. Then they went 

 over and got them.' 



They then fell unexpectedly upon some who came out of TIaldi by 

 canoe. One di-ew himself up into a tree which bent over the water. 

 He alone escaped. They killed the rest. 



